Improvement in flags



' A.- WATSON. X

Flag.

' Patented Feb. 16, 1864 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS WATSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,656, dated February 16, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS WATSON, of Washington, in the county of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Flags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Ordinary flags, being made of fibrous and textile woven fabrics, very'soon wear out when in constant use. The chief object of my invent-ion is to produce a more durable flag, and at the same time to make one neat in its general appearance.

My invention consists of a sheet or plate of metal so carved upon its edges, and painted on both sides as to represent a flag of cloth or canvas, and to be used as a common flag suspended on a staff or other usual manner. I propose to take a sheet of metal or other firm substance and cut the same into the shape to correspond with the outline of the flag floating on the wind or breeze, and then to paint or represent the flag on both sides of this plate. Thus painted, the plate as seen from either side shows a beautiful flag natu rally floating on the wind, and not a flag spread smoothly on the plate.

In the drawings, a view of the United States flag is shown at A as it -appears in my invention. The flag is'represented as floating on the wind and supported by the flag-staff B, crowned by a ball, C. In reality my flag is a plane sheet of metal, the folds of flag being hown entirely by the effect of the painting and the irregular border of the plate. The waves of the stripes and stars are due to the same cause on my flag, and in the accompanying drawings the paper of the drawings corresponds to the metallic plate in my flag. The sheet of metal, being folded around the staif, rests on a shoulder, D, and turns with the wind, like a common vane or weather-cock.

My flag can be made of various forms, according to the fancy, and may be suspended in any desired manner.

My flag can be made very cheaply, and itis far more durable than any flag .now in use. It does not droop in a calm or in rain, and will not freeze into a shapeless mass when wet.

Corrugated, convoluted, or otherwise irregular plates or surfaces may be employed, but I prefer plane ones, asabove described.

I am aware that metallic shields are common and that toy pins and other articles of metal have had flags painted on one surface of the metal as a mere ornamental picture upon such articles; therefore I do not claim any of these, but confine my claims to the improvement in flags, above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire 'to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is A metallic flag, constructed, ornamented, and to be used substantially as above set forth,-as a new article of manufacture.

AUGUSTUS WATSON.

Witnesses:

DANIEL BREED, JOHN L. HAYES. 

